1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rural mailbox, and more particularly, an extension mailbox.
After a snowstorm, many homeowners shovel a path for the mail truck, but a snow plow may come along and cover the mailbox with snow again, negating all the homeowner's work. When the mailbox is covered, the homeowner may miss the mail delivery that day and the mail carrier will not be able to pick up an important piece of mail, such as a bill payment, that the homeowner was ready to send. Besides that, the person who clears the path to the mailbox may be at risk of getting injured, as shoveling snow is an arduous and time consuming task. Also, the yard may be full of debris when spring rolls around because of all the shoveling from the road during the winter. A more efficient solution is necessary.
The extension mailbox allows users to easily bring the mailbox to the mail truck during the winter months, instead of trying to shovel a path in snow toward a conventional mailbox. The extension mailbox is easily attached to a standard mailbox post with a bolt and nut. The extension mailbox simply expands beyond the built-up wall of snow, guaranteeing that the mail will be delivered. By using the present invention, anyone who lives in an area where the snow threatens to cover the mailbox will not miss any mail and can also sleep longer knowing that they do not have to get up early to clear a path in the snow to the mailbox.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for mailboxes have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,640, Issued on Feb. 26, 1935, to Steen teaches an extensible mailbox, comprising a body portion closed at its rear end and open at its front end, the front end having a beaded edge, a recess in the portion, a member telescopically engaging the portion, the member being open at its rear end and its front end, the front end having a beaded edge of greater cross sectional area than the first named beaded edge, a door hingedly mounted to the front end of the member, a flange carried by the door adapted to embrace the second beaded edge and provide a weatherproof connection for the door therewith, the flange having a width which will permit it also to embrace the first beaded edge and provide a weatherproof connection with the front end of the body portion when the member is fully telescoped within the portion, a retaining device for the door, and a catch extend from the member and slideably engaging the recess for limiting the longitudinal travel of the member.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,501, Issued on Jun. 20, 1995, to Wesorick teaches an improved sliding hooded mail carrier tray for a conventional rural mailbox structure. The rural type mailbox has a rectangular bottom panel, a back panel extending from one end of the rectangular bottom panel, a U-shaped roof portion extending from opposite sides of the bottom panel and a swinging pivotal door at another end. The improvement consists of a transparent hooded mail carrier having a slightly smaller cross sectional configuration compared to a cross-sectional configuration of the mailbox. The hooded mail carrier comprises a rectangular bottom wall, a back wall extending from the back end of the rectangular bottom wall and a U-shaped hood portion extending from opposite sides of the rectangular bottom wall defining an enclosure with the front end of the hooded mail carrier having an opening for receipt of mail. The hooded mail carrier also has upper rails on opposite sides thereof mounted on the outside of the U-shaped hood portion and lower rollers positioned on a rear portion of the hooded mail carrier beneath the upper rails. The upper rails of the hooded mail carrier are cooperable with upper mailbox rollers attachable at opposite sides of an inside wall of the mailbox and the lower rollers of the hooded mail carrier are cooperable with lower mailbox rails attachable at opposite sides of an inside wall of the mailbox in order for the hooded mail carrier to slide smoothly in horizontal telescoping engagement in and out of the mailbox. A stop lever is mounted on an inside wall of the mailbox for co-action with the upper rails to ensure that the hooded mail carrier does not come all the way out from the mailbox wherein any mail can be easily inserted and retrieved protecting the mail from weather elements when the hooded mail carrier is extended from the mailbox. When the hooded mail carrier is fully inserted into the mailbox, then the mailbox can be closed with the hooded mail carrier enclosed within the mailbox.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,680, Issued on Apr. 8, 2003, to McCormick teaches a slide mount for a rural mailbox comprises a plastic base defining multiple, fixed, horizontal slideways and a slide member slidably and complementally assembled to the base. The slide member is sized and shaped to receive the mailbox thereover and to be secured to the mailbox by screws. A handle is attached to the front of the slide member, and a one-way stop prevents the slide member from being fully removed from the base member.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No. 2004/0195304, Published on Oct. 7, 2004, to Kujawa et al. teaches a mailbox comprises a housing and a hinged door, a spring loaded locking mechanism is attached to the housing and the door, a delivered mail detection mechanism, and an outgoing mail indicator means operably cooperate with the locking mechanism to enable or disable the locking mechanism under appropriate conditions as described herein. The delivered mail detection mechanism includes an external mail present indicator.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,380, Issued on Feb. 28, 2006, to Gunvaldson teaches an extendable and retractable mailbox tray, which is a sliding, guided tray that is mountable within into a standard, rural mailbox. The tray extends from the mailbox when the mailbox door is opened, and retracts back within the mailbox when the mailbox door is closed. The guided mailbox tray assembly includes a tray, which may be referred to as a “sled.” Preferably, the tray is cut out and bent into the form of a rectangular box from a single sheet of galvanized metal. The tray has a side panel and a runner slot cut within the side panel. A runner with a slot fastener end, and a bracket fastener end that is slidingly mountable into the runner slot. A bracket is mountable to the openable door of the mailbox. The bracket includes a runner fastener that is hingeably attachable to the bracket fastener of the runner. The tray extends from the mailbox upon opening the door and the tray retracts back into the mailbox when the door is closed. Preferably, the tray has a pair of side panels, each with a runner slot, a pair of runners, each with a slot fasteners and bracket fasteners, for slidingly connecting the runners to the tray, and pivotably connecting the bracket to the runners.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for mailboxes have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.